Pinewood Toronto Studios Expands its Purpose-Built facilities and continues to Support Ontario’s Film and Television Industry

Pinewood Toronto Studios Expands its Purpose-Built facilities

Pinewood Toronto Studios, the studios responsible for hosting Suicide Squad, Room and IT, has expanded its production foot print in the Port Lands with a new approximately 27,500 sq. ft. film and television support facility. To celebrate the expansion, and the role it plays in the emerging creative and mixed use district in the Port Lands, Pinewood is hosting an event on site Monday, December 11th with several key Provincial and City of Toronto officials.

Building on last year’s announcement that Pinewood has exercised its option to lease 1.75 acres of additional land from its landlord, the Toronto Port Lands Company, this new approximately 27,500 sq. ft. facility-under construction, complements its existing 300,000 sq. ft. 'purpose-built' studio campus on Toronto’s waterfront. The new facility will open its doors in May 2018.

This expansion is a key step in achieving Pinewood Toronto Studios’ plans to grow its purpose-built facility – more than doubling its current size - to 700,000 sq. ft. This new facility represents a 10 per cent total increase from Pinewood Toronto’s current offering, with more to come in the near future.

Pinewood Toronto Studio’s new support facility consists of approximately an 11,000 sq. ft. sound stage, 7,000 sq. ft. production office and 9,500 sq. ft. of workshop area for services like costume design and set construction.

“Toronto is a film and television success story, with several consecutive record breaking years of sector investment,” said Paul Bronfman, Chairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios. “Pinewood Toronto is a prime example of private sector investment continuing to strengthen the film and television industry and drive economic development in the City of Toronto and the Port Lands is a big part of that.”

“Ontario is the epicentre of Canadian film and television, so it's only logical that Pinewood Toronto Studios would want to live long and prosper here,” added the Honourable Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Growth. “This is a vote of confidence in the impressive talent, dynamic business climate and vibrant innovation ecosystem in our province."

Pinewood Toronto is a key tenant in the emerging Port Lands neighbourhood. Less than three kilometers from the downtown core, Pinewood Toronto Studios currently sits on approximately 17.5 acres of land, with options to expand to 33.5 acres. Expansion plans include upgrades and improvements to Pinewood Toronto Studios’ film and television studios, flexible spaces for media and innovation and complementary uses, such as culture, retail, hotel and long term stay apartments.

Pinewood Toronto Studios’ expansion plan will foster a strong community that builds upon the film, television and digital media cluster emerging in this area.

“We hear it everywhere we go, foreign and domestic producers want to film in Toronto,” said Blake Steels, President of Pinewood Toronto Studios. “We have the world-class talent, the innovation, the political will and tax credits to attract investment.”The City of Toronto’s 2017 Strategic Action Plan for Film, Television and Digital Media Industry noted that Toronto’s studios are operating at capacity and expanded production space is essential to the continued growth of the screen industry.

Steels noted: “This development will increase production space and continue to support high-paying skilled jobs in the City of Toronto. The expansion will go a long way in meeting the needs of our clients and allow us to host major film productions and TV series concurrently on the lot, something that has been challenging in the past.”

This new addition and mix of spaces has been carefully planned to add capacity and depth to Pinewood Toronto Studios. Following the completion of this immediate next phase, Pinewood will accommodate 11 purpose-built stages, including one of the largest soundstages in North America at 46,000 sq. ft., offices that can house multiple productions at a time, teaching facilities, and a variety of support facilities to service a growing roster of domestic and international film and television clients.